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    Combat Patrol – the first game

    Warhammer 40,000: Combat Patrol – your first game step by step

    A solid guide for a complete beginner: how to set up the table, how to play a turn, how to think about objectives, and how to handle your first battle without chaos.

    What Combat Patrol is and why it’s the best way to start

    Combat Patrol is the simplest and most accessible way to start playing Warhammer 40,000.

    You don’t have to deal with a large army, a complex army list, or dozens of equipment variants. Each Combat Patrol box works as a ready-made smaller army prepared for play. Thanks to that, you can focus on what matters most: how a turn works, how to move on the table, how to shoot, how to fight, and most importantly how to win through objectives and points.

    This is especially important for a beginner. Full-scale 40K can feel complex at first glance and overwhelming due to the number of options. Combat Patrol solves this problem. It gives you a smaller army, fewer rules, and still a real Warhammer experience. It teaches you the right habits from the start.

    👉 Combat Patrol is not “just a simplified game”. It’s the best training for understanding the fundamentals of Warhammer.

    What the goal of the game is

    Not to kill as much as possible. To win the mission.

    This is the very first thing a new player needs to remember. In most cases, Warhammer 40,000 is not won simply by removing as many enemy models as possible. It is won through points. You mainly gain them by holding objectives, controlling key areas of the table, and fulfilling mission conditions.

    This means that even if you shoot more of your opponent’s army, you can still lose if you fall behind on scoring. And on the other hand — sometimes it’s enough to attack less, but stand in the right places, force your opponent to react, and survive smartly into the next turn.

    • capture objectives in time,
    • hold them with units that can survive,
    • shoot and fight where it helps your scoring,
    • don’t give your opponent free points.
    👉 The most common beginner mistake: focusing only on what to kill. The right question is: what gives me points and what takes points away from my opponent?

    What you need for your first game

    For your first battle, you don’t need a perfect tournament setup. A solid foundation is enough.

    Two Combat Patrol armies
    Ideally two complete Combat Patrol boxes.
    D6 dice
    You’ll be rolling constantly in Warhammer.
    Measuring tape or ruler
    All movement and distances are measured in inches.
    Gaming surface and terrain
    Without obstacles, ruins, and cover, the game works worse.
    Datasheets and patrol rules
    So you know what your units can do.
    A simple mission
    So it’s clear how scoring works.
    👉 For your first game, it’s better to have fewer things but understand them well than to prepare everything and get lost during the game.

    How to set up your first table

    The quality of the table affects the quality of the whole first game more than you might think.

    If the table is empty and open, the game often turns into a simple shootout. That’s not ideal. Warhammer works best when there is enough terrain on the table, and units have to decide where to move, where to hide, and how to open firing lines.

    1. Prepare the playing surface.
    2. Place enough terrain – ruins, walls, obstacles, blocking pieces.
    3. Place objectives so that they are worth fighting over.
    4. Determine deployment zones.
    5. Set up armies and keep datasheets within reach.
    6. Agree on a simple mission and start.
    👉 The first game should be easy to read. A simple mission and a good table are better than a complex mission on a bad table.

    How to read a datasheet

    A datasheet is a unit’s card. If you can read it, you know what your unit should do.

    Element What it means What to take away from it
    M Movement – movement Determines how quickly the unit gets where you need it.
    T Toughness – durability The higher it is, the harder the unit is to wound.
    Sv Save – saving throw Shows how well the model can defend against hits.
    W Wounds – health How much damage the model can take before it falls.
    OC Objective Control How well the unit holds objectives. Very important for scoring.
    Abilities Special abilities This is often where you find what makes the unit unique.
    👉 When you look at a datasheet, you should be able to say: is it an objective holder, a shooter, a support unit, or a melee attacker?

    How a turn works

    Warhammer is easy to follow mainly because each round runs in the same order.

    Once you experience the individual phases, the game will stop feeling chaotic. It’s not about memorizing everything immediately in your first game. What matters is understanding the logic: the start of the turn prepares you, movement opens options, shooting removes problems, charge gets you into combat, and fight resolves melee engagements.

    1️⃣ Command Phase
    2️⃣ Movement Phase
    3️⃣ Shooting Phase
    4️⃣ Charge Phase
    5️⃣ Fight Phase
    👉 Each phase prepares the next one. A turn is not a series of random actions — it’s one connected plan.

    1. Command Phase – start of the turn and planning the round

    This isn’t just where you do “some technical things”. This is where your plan begins.

    At the start of the turn, you gain resources and resolve rules that activate in this phase. But for a new player, something else is much more important: this is where you should clarify what you want to achieve this round.

    • Do I want to take the center?
    • Do I want to hold my home objective and just weaken the opponent?
    • Do I want to push this turn, or rather survive and score?
    👉 Before you move your first unit, you should know what the goal of this round is.

    2. Movement Phase – this is where most of the game is decided

    Movement in Warhammer is much more important than a beginner usually thinks.

    In the Movement phase, you’re not just deciding where to move your models. You are actually deciding:

    • who will stand on the objective,
    • who will be in cover,
    • who will have line of sight to a target,
    • who will be within charge range,
    • and who will remain too exposed.

    Poor movement is often the reason why a beginner loses even a good position. A unit moves too far forward, gets shot off the table, loses an objective, or blocks its own next move. Good movement, on the other hand, creates pressure while keeping your army alive.

    ❌ running forward without a plan
    ✅ moving in a way that gains you points, cover, and a better next turn

    3. Shooting Phase – shoot where it actually matters

    Shooting is not about rolling as many dice as possible. It’s about choosing the right target.

    When the Shooting phase comes, don’t just look for what is closest or what looks biggest. Think about what is actually a problem:

    • which unit is holding your opponent’s objective,
    • which unit threatens your scoring the most,
    • which unit you need to weaken before a charge,
    • where removing a few models will change the situation on the table.

    A very common mistake is shooting at multiple different targets and finishing none of them. It is often much better to focus fire where you will actually create an effect.

    👉 A good target is not the one you can shoot at. A good target is the one whose weakening or removal changes the situation in your favor.

    4. Charge Phase – only go into combat when it makes sense

    Charge is a powerful tool, but not every opportunity to charge is a good idea.

    Melee combat can turn the entire game. You can push your opponent off an objective, finish a weakened unit, or lock them in place. But at the same time, you often expose your own models to risk. If you don’t think your charge through, you may get into combat but gain nothing — and pay heavily for it in the next turn.

    • charge when it takes an objective,
    • charge when it finishes an important target,
    • charge when it locks a dangerous unit,
    • don’t charge just because “it happens to work”.
    👉 A good charge is not the longest or the boldest. A good charge is the one that gives you points, space, or advantage.

    5. Fight Phase – close combat and decisive engagements

    In melee combat, it’s often not just the unit’s strength that matters, but when and why it is there.

    The Fight phase is where battles for the center, objectives, and key unit survival are decided. For a beginner, it’s important not to treat melee as an isolated moment of “now we roll dice”. Think about what happens after the fight.

    • will my unit remain in the right position after the fight?
    • if I don’t destroy the opponent, will it cost me next turn?
    • does this fight help me score, or does it just look impressive?
    👉 Melee combat is powerful, but only when it is tied to the mission and board control.

    How an attack works step by step

    Once you understand this sequence, you’ll understand half of the entire game.

    1. Hit roll – did you hit the target?
    2. Wound roll – was your weapon strong enough?
    3. Assign attack – the opponent decides which model resolves the hit.
    4. Saving throw – did the target defend itself?
    5. Damage – how many wounds were actually lost?
    How to remember it in the simplest way

    Hit: did I hit?

    Wound: did I overcome the target’s toughness?

    Save: did the opponent defend it?

    Damage: how much did they actually lose?

    👉 Don’t rush. A beginner will improve the most by resolving attacks slowly and carefully step by step.

    Strength vs Toughness: why some weapons aren’t for everything

    In Warhammer, it is very important to choose the right targets for the right weapons.

    If a weapon’s strength is high compared to the target’s toughness, you will wound it more easily. If it is low, you will need a better roll and the attack will be less reliable. This means that not all weapons should be shooting at the same targets.

    Light infantry weapons are usually great against weaker infantry. Heavier weapons handle elites, monsters, or vehicles better. A beginner often makes the mistake of focusing everything on the biggest enemy, even when their weapons are not effective against it.

    👉 Sometimes it’s better to remove a light but important unit on an objective than to inefficiently fire at the toughest target on the table.

    Cover and terrain: without them, the game doesn’t work well

    Terrain is not decoration. It is one of the most important parts of the entire battle.

    Cover protects your units, ruins block line of sight, obstacles slow attacks, and good use of the table determines who has the advantage in the next turn. Those who know how to use terrain survive longer and make fewer mistakes.

    • keep important units in cover,
    • advance through terrain, not across open ground,
    • use ruins as protection and as a way to open up shooting lanes,
    • don’t expose yourself to the entire enemy army at once.
    👉 An open table will make the first game worse for almost every beginner. The better the terrain, the better and smarter the game.

    Special abilities: what to really watch in your first game

    Each patrol has its own tricks. But for your first battle, you don’t need to know everything.

    Instead, before your first game, choose just a few rules that you will actually use often. These are usually:

    • Leader – a character that supports a unit,
    • Deep Strike / Reserves – a unit that can arrive later,
    • Lethal Hits / Sustained Hits / Devastating Wounds – rules that increase the power of attacks,
    • Scout / Advance / Fall Back – abilities that change movement and the pace of the game.
    👉 Before the game, mark 3–5 of the most important abilities of your patrol. That is more than enough for a solid first battle.

    Stratagems and Command Points

    Stratagems are small tricks that can change a very important moment of the game.

    You use Command Points to activate stratagems. A beginner typically makes one of two mistakes: either they spend them on every small thing, or they save them so long that they end up unused.

    The right approach is simple: use CP where they actually change the situation.

    • defending an important unit,
    • rerolling a key roll,
    • finishing a decisive attack,
    • saving an objective or a key position.
    👉 One well-timed stratagem has more value than several average effects spent without a plan.

    How to play your very first game

    Here is a simple plan you can follow to successfully handle your first game.

    1. In the first round, try to capture objectives and prepare strong positions.
    2. Keep important units in cover and don’t expose them unnecessarily.
    3. Shoot mainly at targets that threaten your scoring or hold your opponent’s points.
    4. Only charge when you actually gain something from it.
    5. After each round, check who holds objectives and who is scoring.
    6. If you’re unsure about a rule, pause and resolve the situation slowly.
    👉 The goal of your first game is not to play perfectly. The goal is to play your turns correctly and understand why things happen.

    How to think during your turn

    A strong turn is not a series of random actions. It is one connected plan.

    1. What do I want to hold at the end of the round?
    2. Which enemy unit is preventing me from that the most?
    3. How will I weaken it or work around it?
    4. Which of my units must survive into the opponent’s turn?
    5. Does it make sense to go into combat now?
    6. Am I exposing myself to too much risk for the next round?
    👉 If you ask yourself these questions before every round, you will start playing much more calmly and with less chaos.

    Most common beginner mistakes

    If you avoid them, your first games will be significantly better right away.

    Mindless forward movement
    A unit threatens something but dies immediately.
    Ignoring objectives
    You kill, but you don’t score points.
    Shooting the wrong target
    You shoot where it doesn’t change anything important.
    Charging without a reason
    You get into combat but gain nothing from it.
    Forgotten abilities
    Your unit could do more, but you don’t use it.
    Rolling dice too quickly
    You skip a step and get confused in the rules.
    👉 The biggest mistake is not a bad dice roll. The biggest mistake is a bad decision before that roll.

    3 rules that will help you win more games

    Movement is more important than damage
    If you stand in the wrong place, no amount of shooting will save you.
    Position is more important than luck
    Good positioning reduces the impact of bad rolls.
    Points are more important than killing
    Without scoring, you won’t win even if your opponent loses more.

    What to remember as the absolute basics

    Play the mission first
    Shooting and combat should support objectives.
    Movement decides the game
    Good positioning creates good attacks.
    Cover is essential
    Exposed units die quickly.
    Not every weapon is for everything
    Choose your targets wisely.
    Charge must have a reason
    Don’t go into combat automatically.
    CP should change important moments
    Don’t spend them without a plan.

    Why Combat Patrol is the ideal first step into Warhammer

    It is faster, clearer, and teaches exactly the fundamentals you will later use in larger games.

    Combat Patrol teaches you to read datasheets, understand turn order, think about movement, handle objectives, choose targets, and use basic stratagems. That is exactly what you need. Once you master this, transitioning into larger Warhammer 40,000 games won’t be a shock, but a natural next step.

    👉 First understand the core of the game. Only then does it make sense to move into larger armies, more complex combinations, and deeper list building.

    Start playing

    Choose your army, put it on the table, and play your first battle.

    👉 Choose Combat Patrol
    Combat Patrol is the best way to learn Warhammer 40,000 properly from the start.

    Once you understand turn order, movement, objectives, cover, attacks, and proper use of CP, you will have a solid foundation for every future game.

    And that is exactly the goal of this article:
    so that you read it, put your army on the table, and no longer feel lost — but ready.
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